The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a new mobile application called the CURE ID that will allow the clinical community to report uses of existing drugs for infectious diseases that may prove difficult to treat.
Through an internet-based platform, the clinical community can add to a repository via website, smartphone, or other mobile devices. The platform also allows for “crowdsourcing of medical information from health care providers to guide potentially life-saving interventions and facilitate the development of new treatments for neglected diseases,” the agency said.
According to the FDA, health care professionals will often use legally marketed drugs or medical devices for “unapproved or uncleared” use when that unapproved use is medically appropriate for an individual patient. It says that collecting real-world experience information in the application will assist in identifying drug candidates for additional study, encourage further drug development, and be a resource for health care professionals.
“The app works by collecting a simple case report form from caregivers about their experience using an approved product for an unapproved use,” the FDA said. “App users can also participate in a treatment discussion from where they can engage with fellow providers globally.”
Interested parties can download the CURE ID app here.
